Electric system.



PATENTE D JUNE 20, 1905.

A. L. SJOBERG.

ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 23 1904 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEY PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

A. L. SJOBERG.

ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.23, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m/ 1/5/4701? find Z. $053219- ATTORNEYS NITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,855, dated June 20, 1905,

Application tiled September 23, 1904. Serial No. 225,686.

To (r/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it-known thatI, AXEL L. SJoBERG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Union Hill, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Im-' proved Electric System, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relatcsto an electric system, and comprises novel means whereby any one of a series of stations may be selected from a central station and a local circuit closed or mechanism moved for the purpose of transmitting power or energy, or instead of closing thelocal circuit the current from the main line can be diverted to the local circuit selected. These local circuits may be used for ringing bells or giving any kind of signal, operating motors or electric lights, telegraphing, telephoning, or for any of the uses to which electric currents can be put.

The principle of my invention can be carried out in many ways, some preferred forms of which I will describe.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one method of connecting the central station with the local stations. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the construction of an operating device at one of the local stations. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one form of contact-making device as used at the local stations. Fig. t is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view of another form of operating device on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing diagrammatically one of the local stations with the device shown in Fig. 5 applied thereto. Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing diagrammatically the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing a modification. Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan View, on a slightly-enlarged scale, of the modification shown in Fig. 8. Figs. 11, 12, and 13 represent diagrammatically three stations using the form of apparatus shown in Fig. 8; and Fig. 1.4 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 8.

The principle of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 1, inwhich a series of stations are designated by A B C D E P, it being understood that there are fifteen stations, those not illustrated being located between E and P. It will be obvious that the number of stations will depend upon certain conditions and that the invention is not limited to any particular number.

At each station is located a series of magnets and armatures. The armatures at station A are designated as a a a (4", those at B as b b b I)", the other stations being designated in a similar manner. These armatures are designed to be operated by magnets in, each magnet being connected up with a main circuit connected with the central station L. These main circuits are shown in the present instance as four in number, It" k it. Each of these circuits is connected with a switch at the central station, these switches being noted, respectively, as Z, Z Z", and F. A battery m is provided for the purpose of supplying each of these circuits with current.

At each of the local stations a local circuit is provided, these being respectively A, B, C, D, E, and P. These local circuits are broken at the points j, one of these points corresponding to each of the armatures a a a a". Each of the armatures is provided with a contact-piece 71, which is designed to be operated to make or break contact by coming into contact with binding-posts located at the points 7' and by being thrown out of contact therewith. Each of the local circuits is provided with a device for the production of the desired signal of operation as, for example, a bell it; but it is to be understood that other electrical devices-such as motors, telephone instruments, lights, Ste-may be substituted for this bell. Each local circuit is also provided with a battery f.

The local and main circuits may be entirely metallic or may be grounded, as indicated in the drawings at (J, or the local circuits may be bridged to the main circuits.

Switches a are preferably provided for con. necting the main circuits with the local cirroo cuitsand disconnectingthem. Otherswitches 0 are provided for disconnecting the batteries from the local circuits when the latter are connected with the main circuits. It will be obvious that upon the closing of any one of the switches Z Z Z Z the corresponding main circuit will be closed and the current will be sent through all of the magnets Z: which are connected with that circuit. The result of this will be the attraction of the armatures in that circuit toward the magnet and the corresponding movement of the contactpieces '5 connected to those armatures. For example, if the switch Z is closed, as indicated in dotted lines, the armatures a Z 0 (Z a, &c., up to and including j) will be forced to the left, as indicated in dotted lines. Some of the contact-pieces connected to these armatures are in contact with their respective binding-postsj. The result of this closing of the circuit 76 will be to open these local circuits; but where the contact-pieces are set at the right of their respective binding-posts, as shown at A, C, D, and P, the result of this operation of the switch Z will be to close these local circuits at this point. It will be seen, therefore, that the various armatures may be so set that the closing of each circuit at the local station can be regulated practically from the central station. In order to do' this, the various armatures at each local station should be set in different positions from those at any other station. For example, in station A three of the armatures are so set as to make contact, while the fourth one a is set so that the contact-piece i is located at the right of the binding-1')ost 1'. At station B the armatures Z), 7), and Z" are set so as to make contact, while the armature Z is set out of contact. c are set out of contact, while 0" and c are set in contact, and other variations may be made throughout the system, the last station P being so set that all of the armatures are located out of contact with the binding-posts.

In the present instance all of the armatures are set so that the contact-pieces are either in contact with their respective binding-posts or located at the right thereof, because the magnets are made single-acting and are designed to draw the armatures to the left upon being energized, and means is provided for forcing the armatures to the right upon the magnets being deenergized. This means will be described later.

Now it will be clear from a consideration of the system as so far described that upon closing the circuit Zr by means of the switch Z the armatures a Z) 0 CZ, 850., being drawn to the left will in the first instance cause the local circuit A to be closed, because this circuit is so set that the armatures a a and (0* form the desired contacts, and that the armature a will complete the circuit when it is forced to the left, as shown in dotted lines.

At the station C the armatures 0 and The circuits at the other stations, however, will remain open. It will be readily seen that the armatures Z and a will be drawn to the left, so as to keep their respective contacts open at that point,as has been above mentioned. The armatures c d 19, however, will be drawn into contact, so as to make connection with their respective binding-posts. It is to be observed, however, that each of these local circuits C, D, and P is provided with a broken contact at some other point-for example, at 0 cl in the third and fourth cases-and in the last station all of the armatures are set so as to break the circuit. It will be readily seen, therefore, that the closing of the switch Z will close the circuit A without closing any of the other local circuits. In the same manner the closing of the switch Z will close the circuit B and leave the other local-circuits open. In order to close the circuit C, however, it is necessary to do more than turn one of the switches at the central station. It will be observed that this station is provided with two armatures, so located as to keep the circuit open at their two respective binding-posts. Consequently in order to close this circuit it will be necessary to move both of these armatures c and c to the left. This will be accomplished by closing the two switches Z and Z By studying the arrangement of the various armatures it will be seen that while this will close other switches in other local circuits it will so operate as to leave at least one switch open in each local circuit except the circuit C. Other contacts will have similar results with respect to other circuits, and it will be obvious that three switches will have to be closed in order to close some circuits and that the last circuit I can only be closed by closing all of the switches Z Z Z Z. If the switches are drawn simultaneously, only the selected station will have its circuit closed. If the switches are drawn successively, the local circuits of some other stations may be closed temporarily during the selecting. Should this be objectionable, it would be necessary to have an additional magnet at each station and a line connecting them to the central station. The armatures of these magnets should be set so as to keep the local stations normally open and should be the last ones to be operated, so that no local circuit could be closed until that operation was made.

In order to provide for the operation of the local circuits from the main battery m, switches a will have to be provided for connecting the main circuits with the local circuits and switches 0 for disconnecting the batteries f from their respective local circuits. Instead of having the switches a and 0 for making the desired connections the arrangement could obviously be made permanent and the batteries dispensed with. These switches 11 or connections in place of them would have to be located at each station, so as to connect any one of the main circuits 7c, 71: and 70" that is used in selecting said station with the local circuit. These connections would have to be made at a point so that all of the switches 71 which are normally out of contact with their respective binding-posts 7' would be between it and the instrument on the local circuit. In other words, they connect the local circuit with a main circuit that has to be closed in order to connect the local circuit and with that one of such main circuits which is farthest from the instrument on the local circuit.

It will be obvious that instead of the series arrangement of the magnets a parallel arrangement could be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In Fig. 2 I have shown on an enlarged scale a construction by which the operation described can be carried out. This construction involves an ordinary magnet 70, shown in this figure as connected with the line Z7 and provided with an armature (1/. The contact-piece v connected with the armature, as has been above mentioned, is intended to form a con tact with the binding-post], which is located in the circuit A, when the contact-piece is brought into a certain position. In order to provide for this arrangement, two conducting elements 7' and 7' are mounted upon the binding-posty', each being connected to a portion of the ci rcuit A, butinsulated from each other. The contact-piece 2 is adapted when brought into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to bridge over the space between the two conductors 7' 1" and make electrical connection from one to the other. It will be obvious that the energizing of the magnet Z: will draw the armature (1/ to the left and cause the contact-piece to make the circuit in the manner described. Upon deenergizing the magnet the spring K, located within the magnet or at any other desired point, will force the armature a back to its original position. In the example shown in Fig. 2 this original position is the same as that indicated at a in Fig. 1; but of course it will be obvious that with other magnets the original position may be such that the contact-piece will normally close the circuit, as indicated at (0 In Figs. 3 and 45 I have illustrated another form which comprises the same magnets 7: and similar armatures a (L2 a e. These armatures are provided with insulating-blocks i each one having a depression 71. As a substitute for the binding-posts illustrated in Fig. 2 a standard 0 is placed at the rear of the armatures. This post is provided with an adjustable screw q or any equivalent conducting device. An arm 7' is pivotally mounted and provided with a projection 7' for contact with the screw 9 and a cross-bar adapted to rest in all of the depressions i Now it will be seen that when the armatures are in the position shown at a (1, 16 the arm f will be allowed to swing downwardly upon its pivot on account of the cross-bar being allowed to fall into the depressions This will result in the raising of the projection 7' into contact with the contact-screw (1; but if, as shown in Fig. 4, one of the armatures is forced outwardly, (or inwardly,) so that the cross-bar j cannot rest in one of the depressions 7 the arm will be lifted upon its pivot and the projection f will be lowered out of contact with the contact device (1. It will be clear then that the circuit A. will not be completed unless all of the armatures are put in such position that the cross-bar j will rest in all of the depressions 21.

In Fig. .5 is shown a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of still another form of device in which the magnet Zr, the circuit 7c, the armature e, and the local circuit A are the same as those indicated in the other figures. Figs. 6 and 7 also illustrate this construction. In these three figures the armaturesas, for example, /are provided with insulated extensions 2 Each of these extensions is provided with a contact-piece 71. The binding-posts are provided with a pair of stationary contactpieces 7, which are insulated from'each other and each of which is connected with the circuit A. The parts are so located that when the armatures are in central position, as indicated at (1, m", and 11/, the contact-pieces 1' and y" will be in contact with each other and the circuit will be made at these points; but when the projections '2' are located in any other position, either to the right or to the left, the contactpieces 2' will be out of contact with the pieces as indicated in Fig. 7

There are many other forms in which this invention may be embodied. In one of these forms the main circuits 7 k" Z7 may be dispensed with, only one main circuit being employed. In this case a single magnet will be located at each local station, and the operation of the single switch at the central station would move the armatures of all the magnets at the local station in one direction. In order to provide for the movement of the contact devices, which would be similar to that indicated in Fig. 1, mechanism could be provided, such as that shown in Figs. 8 to 14:, inclusive. The form shown in these figures will now be described, it being understood that this form is designed to be used with a single main circuit, which is to be operated from the central station by a single switch. In these figures the letters f h t f 7r: represent the same elements as they do in the other figures. K7 in Figs. 8 and 9 represents the main line going to the magnets Z1 Figs. 11, 12, and 13 represent three stations, which are indicated by the letters R, S, and T, having the local circuits R, S, and T. It will be observed that in this case five bars i are employed; but of course any other number could be used, as is the case in the other modifications shown. These bars are all of the same length, and their contact-pieces/are preferably made of different lengths, as indicated in these figures; but any other means could be employed for producing the result, as will be understood by reference to the other modifications. Theconductingcontact-pieces j are secured to an insulator j, with spaces between them. It will be obvious that when all these spaces are bridged the local circuit will be completed. In order to provide for this result, a convenient way is to make some of the contact-pieces v1 shorter than others and arrange them in varying manners, indicated in the other modifications described above, so that, for example, in the case of station R the raising of the bar i at the extreme left will close that circuit, and the main circuit is provided with a magnet at each station so arranged that when this is done the bars in the same locations at all of the stations will be raised in like manner. In the stations illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 this will aid in closing the local circuits S and T. Consequently if the local circuit S is desired to be entirely closed the third bar will have to be raised in addition to the first one. On account of the connection of the several stations to the main line the raising of this third bar at the station S will be accompanied by the raising of the corresponding bar at the other stations. This will add another link to the closing of the local circuit T; but it will raise the central bar at the station R beyond the contact-pieces 7', and consequently will break the circuit at that point, so that the closing of the circuit S will leave the circuit T still open and will cause the closed circuit R to be broken. A convenient manner of accomplishing these results is illustrated in Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 14. The magnets Z. are provided with armatures 1;, each of which is provided with a rod 6', extending outwardly therefrom, and to the end of each is pivoted a lever 10 upon a standard a. The end of this lever is adapted to operate a slide w by coming into contact with a collar w there on. A spring of, engaging with a stationary guide e at one end and with a portion of the slide or a projection thereupon at the other, forces the slide to the right. The retraction of the rod 2? and the lever 11. will force the slide in the opposite direction and cause a pivoted pawl o to engage with teeth upon a ratchetwheel 10 and rotate the latter one step for each reciprocation of the slide 0;. In its reverse motion the pawl will pass over the teeth in an obvious manner. The wheel 1/) is mounted upon a vertical shaft 11/, which is capable of reciprocating motion, as well as rotary motion. A pivoted pawl 20 operated by a spring Q03, is provided for preventing the ratchet-wheel from turning backward. The upper end of the shaft on is provided with a bar w", which rotates with it and with the ratchet-wheel. Now each of the bars i is mounted to reciprocate vertically in guides d and is provided with a rearwardly-eXtending projection 41 The ends of these projections are preferably arranged in the arc of a circle in such relation to the wheel w that the bar 20* in its rotation will pass in succession under the ends of the several projections 71 It will be understood, therefore, that the operation of the magnet 70, by closing the switch at the central station, will draw in the armature t, which is normally held in an outward position in any desired manner, and cause the slide a; to operate the ratchet-wheel w one step. If starting at the position shown in Fig. 10, it will be obvious that the closing of the switch at the central station will swing the bar 10 under the second projection 91 which corresponds to the second bar i at the left of each of the Figs. 11, 12, and 13. It will be understood that the arrangement at each station is the same, so that the closing of the switch at the central station will cause all of the bars 10" to move under the second bars at each of the stations. It will accordingly be possible to place an end of each bar to under any desired one of the projections 6 at all of the local stations. Now in order to raise the desired bar i so as to form the contact as explained above and complete the circuit at any desired local station, a resistance is provided at the central station which can be thrown out so as to introduce a stronger current into the magnets 7;. The introduction of this stronger current will force the armature t farther into the magnet against the force of the spring, which is described in connection with another modification, and this will cause a projection 6 upon the bar t to engage with a bell-crank t and force the end 6' thereof upwardly against the lower end of the shaft w. This will cause the shaft, together with the bar 20, to be raised, and as the bar 10 is immediately beneath an end of one of the projections i'as, for example, that one at the bottom of Fig. l0-that projection, together with the bar i will be raised so that the contact-piece 4;, if it is at that time out of electrical contact with the pieces 7', will be brought into contact with two of them and bridge the space between them. If, however, the contact-piece 71, mounted on that particular bar 71', is already in such position as to bridge the space between the two adjacent contact-pieces f, it will be forced farther up and break the electrical connection at this point. The additional stroke of the armature t does not interfere with the ratchet-wheel w, for the extra motion is taken up by a spring o which is stronger than the spring 41 After the last operation of the armatures t is made only one of the stations will have its circuit closed, and. the parts will remain in this condition as long as they are held there. This is accomplished by having each of the sliding bars 2' provided with mechanism for holding themin elevated position. The holding mechanism, as illustrated in Fig. 14:, comprises a freely-swinging hook 11:, provided with a projection m and pivoted to a stationary part of the device'opposite each bar '6 except the last one, to be operated at each station. A projection i is mounted upon each sliding bar, except the last one, to be engaged by the hook. Bellcranks each having projections 1 and are also pivotally mounted upon a stationary part of the device near each hook hen a sliding bar is raised to the lower position, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 14,) the corresponding projection m engages with the projection 21 man obvious manner and holds the bar in an elevated position until the hooks are swung backwardly on their pivots This is preferably accomplished by the operation of the last sliding bar 71 to be raised at each station. For this purpose this sliding piece is shown as provided with a rod extending across all of the pieces and adapted to engage with all of the projections y of the bell-cranks y Now, supposing all of the sliding pieces 1' except the one at the right to be in the lower position, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 14,) the raising of the one at the right which carries the rod will cause the rod to engage with the projections g and tilt the bell-cranks fl/ upward, as shown in dotted lines. This will not interfere with the hooks w. The rod 2' then passes the ends of the projections g and they fall back to normal position, leaving the rod above them. The bar 20 is caused by the bell-crank t to be raised slightly more than is necessary for causing the projection i to engage with the projection m, as is indicated in the upper dotted lines in Fig. 1 1. It is not necessary to give any of the bars i except the last or right-hand one this extra motion; but to avoid complications I have shown a construction in which all of the bars have it. Now upon the return stroke of the right-hand sliding piece a from the most elevated position the rod will engage with the upper side of all of the projections 1 and cause the bellcranks 7 to be swung upon their pivots, so that the projections y/ will engage with the bars a: and force them to be swung upon their pivots, so that all of the projections or hooks a" will move backward] y to the position shown in dotted lines at the right and be disengaged from the projections 11. This will permit all of the sliding pieces which have been raised to drop to their original positions. A spring a may be used to assist in the downward motion of each piece f. The operation of these devices has been described in the course of the description of the elements themselves and will not need to be repeated here.

It is to be understood that any desired numher of armatures or their equivalents can be employed at each station and that the number of stations will be regulated thereby. For

example, with four armatures shown at each station in Fig. 1 fifteen different combinations, and consequently fifteen local stations, could be produced, with three, only seven combinations and seven local stations could be employed. It will be obvious that with more armatures many more stations could be operated from the central station. The fifteen stations could also be at one place, each of the contact-pieces i having fifteen conductors or depressions set at proper positions. It will further be obvious that a construction could easily be made by the exercise of ordinary mechanical skill which would provide for making contact at two extreme positions of the armatu res and breaking contact in the center, or vice versa, and consequently a large number of stations could be used with the same number of armatures. One way of accomplishing this result would be to have two poles in a permanent magnet at each station. By sending the current in opposite directions sliding pieces corresponding to the armatures could be moved to the right or to the left of the normal position.

By having revolving mechanism at each station the first operation from the central station could be made to throw in a switch and the second operation to throw it out again. After the station is selected it would. be possible to cut off the battery from the central station and supply alternating current or any other current that would not affect the magnets. It would also be possible to cause the movements of the armatures to set mechanical devices in motion to transmit power without the use of the local circuits. The devices I00 shown in Figs. 3 and 4 would be especially adapted for this, as the arm could be made to operate any kind of a switch, to display a signal, or to lock or unlock any mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 1 5 as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An electric system comprising means for conducting electricity, a series of local stations each having a power-transmitting device, a series of movable bars set in different 110 relations to each other at each of the several local stations, and adapted when in certain positions to operatively connect said device with a source of power and means for simultaneously operating one of said bars at each 1 5 of the stations. i

2. An electric system comprising means for conducting electricity, a central station, a plurality of local stations each having a circuit and a series of movable contact-making de- 120 vices set in different relations to each other at the several stations, each of said contactmaking devices consisting of a movable bar having a contact-piece thereon and a stationary contact-piece in contact with which the con- 5 tact-piece on the movable bar is adapted to 'move, and means for operating said movable bars from the central station.

3. An electric system comprising means for conducting electricity, a central station and a 3 plurality of local stations, each of saidlocal stations having acircuit provided with a series of contact-making devices each consisting of a movable bar having a contact-piece thereon and a stationary contact-piece into contact with which the contact-piece on the movable bar is adapted to move, said stationary contact-pieces being located in alinement with each other at each station and connected to the local circuits, and said contact-pieces on the movable bars being normally set out of alinement with each other at the stations, certain of the movable contact-pieces being located in contact with their corresponding stationary contact-pieces.

4. An electric system comprising a central station having a plurality of switches and an electric circuit connecting with each of the switches, a series of stations each having a local circuit and a plurality of movable contact-making devices set in different relations to each other at the several stations, and means for simultaneouslyoperating one of said contact-making devices at each of the local stations from the central station.

5. An electric system comprising a plurality of circuits, a series of local stations each having a circuit, each of said circuits being provided with the same number of circuit opening and closing devices, each of said devices consisting of a movable bar having a contactpiece thereon and a stationary post into contact with which the contact-piece is adapted to move, and means for simultaneously operating one of said movable bars at each of the local stations.

6. An electric system comprising a plurality of circuits, aseries of local stations each having a circuit, each of said circuits being provided with the same number of circuit opening and closing devices, each of said devices consisting o't'a movable bar having a contactpiece thereon and a stationary post into contact with which the contact-piece is adapted to move, and means for simultaneously operatingone of said movable bars at each of the local stations, said stationary posts being lo cated in alinement at each station. connected with the local circuits, and having two contactpieces separated from each other, each of said contact-pieces being connected to a portion of the local circuit, said contact-pieces on the movable bars being normally set out of alinement with each other at each station.

7. An electric system comprising a series of main circuits in parallel with each other, a series of local circuits each of said main circuits havinga plurality of magnets, one magnet of each of said main circuits being located in proximity to each of said local circuits, an armature for each of said magnets, the armatures of all the magnets in each main circuit being simultaneously movable in the same manner when a current is sent through one of the main circuits and circuit opening and closing devices connected to said armatures and to said local circuits.

8. An electric system, comprising a series of local stations each having a power-transmitting device, a series of movable bars set in different relations to each other at each of the several local stations andadapted to connect said device with a source of power, and means for simultaneously operating a plurality of said bars, one at each of the stations.

9. An electric system, comprising a plurality of main circuits, a series of local circuits, a series of movable bars set in different relations to each other adjacent to each of the local. circuits and adapted to make or break the local circuits, and means connected with each of the main circuits for simultaneously operating one of said bars at each local station.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

AXEL L. SJOBERG.

' Witnesses:

I G. CUNINGIIIAM, G120. G-ULDE. 

